Tuesday, January 30, 2007

A great new hangout near Pantai Cenang, Langkawi. Open air dining with a live band providing entertainment from 2130 till about midnight. Karaoke follows till late. Nice ambiance and attentive waiters. They serve both western and local favourites including chicken chops, lamb chops, pulut durian, pulut mangga, etc. We had coffee and cut fruits after the seafood dinner.

The second time we were there, the band did't play and the karaoke was closed in respect to someone in the village passing away. Oh, and it turns out the lead singer is actually one of the cook. Good voice though,

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Complete public access to beaches including cows. These were taken on the way to Tanjung Rhu, Langkawi. The heifers look like they were really enjoying the easy life by the sea. Just relax, no bills to be dealt with later....

What was once cherished, loved and cared for is left to decay. Not just a mode of transport but an enabler for man to roam the seas in search of a livelihood is finally discarded. Perhaps replaced by new better crafts, that is the reality of life. Nothing lasts forever.

Friday, January 26, 2007

That is actually the name of this place. It is situated at Pengkalan Sungai Kilim, Mukim Air Hangat, Langkawi. It is a floating fish farm complete with restaurant and souvenir shops. Set amidst the tranquil mangrove surroundings, it is a very peaceful place. Judging by the number of yachts anchoring in the area, this is the kind of atmosphere tourists are seeking, not the huge shopping complexes in noisy townships.

Among the highlight is hand feeding stingrays. It is huge. There are various types of sea creatures in those enclosures including fishes, big prawns, shellfish and some other the name of which I am not sure of.

Since we arrived at this place during lunch time.... The eight of us had a light lunch of prawn fried rice, two small bowls of tom yam soup and fresh fruit juice. Rice portion is just ok but the prawns come in generous numbers. It was a good meal. The bill came to RM105.00. Not bad at all for a touristy place.

As recommended by a friend who is currently residing in Lumut. According to him, this is the best kuey teow in Lumut. Comes in either wet or dry version. I got the wet while my colleague got the dry. Quite good really. Cheap too.

The place is located opposite the Mosque near the bus terminal. Do give it a try if you are in town. Not bad for an afternoon snack, with iced Milo or coffee.

That sign on the left literally means that the proprietor regrets the delay for your orders and apologises for it. And, they will be late. A couple of years ago, the first time I was there, we waited for hours. Regulars make it a point to come by at about 1800hrs., pick their seafood and place orders on how it is to be cooked and come back to a sumptious meal at about 2000hrs. That way the wait is minimal, if any.

Our recent choice consisted of a fish, ikan kerisi to be grilled; white squid to be battered and deep fried; mussels to be cooked with lemon grass and a pair of crabs to be curried.

This is the grandest thing about the place - its signage. Other than that, it is hard to even call it a restaurant, more a warung or small eating place by the mangroves on the way to Porto Malai Resort. From Kuah town turn left after the hospital.

The food is simply the best Malay style seafood, if not in Malaysia itself then at least the best in Langkawi. The bill just sweetens the deal. The seafood I mentioned above plus a plate of ulam or malay salad, prawn paste salsa (sounds better than sambal belacan...), special sauces for the fish and squid, cut fruits for dessert, two juices, water and rice for two comes to RM40.80. Further RM0.80 discount given to round up the figure. Now that is definitely a winning combination, great food and know how to please a client.

Saturday, January 20, 2007

The President delivering his opening remarks. Please stay on, you have done good for IKMAL and I am certain at least a few more terms will make it better. Not forgetting the VP, Sec., Ancient Mariner, Sifu, and the rest of the council. Good job.

Excellent performance by Asika. Thank you for managing to perform with restrained sound levels making conversation possible during dinner. Liza Hanim and Capt. Sasi was good too. Seafarers, nothing less can be expected. Tara kucak cak...

It has been a good night. That's the line up of the award recipient. All truly deserving in their own way. Congrats guys.

On a personal note, this gathering of the maritime fraternity enabled me to look at my past with a new perspective. Met with those who had an impact and influence on me, my teachers, my students, old friends, bosses and colleagues. All, in some unique ways touches and shapes my life, work and thoughts. It was good seeing all of you again. Thank you.

Friday, January 19, 2007

Off the Strait of Malacca, on the way to Pengkalan Balak near Kuala Sungai Baru. Dark heavy clouds providing a menacing atmosphere. That is how it felt like today as I received an email about an ailing relatives succumbing to cancer.

"...just imform everyone that my dad's cancer problem is beyond help..it has already metastasise to the upper part of the abdomen...it is already at the invasive stage...at this point radiotheraphy is the only option..removal by surgery would be fatal because he has undergone through twooperations recently.dostors suggested Nilai cancer institute or the subang mediacal centre asthe next venue cos they do not have such facility in Kuantan medical centre.the doctors cannot guarantee that radiotheraphy would eradicate the cancercells totally.anyway...the family decides to let nature take it's course.at his age...plus he is claustrophobic..the tought of leaving him all alone in the enclosed chamber,with radiationfired at him would be tormenting.we are only praying for the best..."

This on top of my mom's recent diagnosis of thinning and brittle back bones. Out of the blue she is unable to stand or sit without help. Most likely osteoporosis at the late stage. She is on painkillers and calcium tablets now. Hopefully, this is the nadir and we will all start moving towards the zenith soon. 2007 certainly starts with a big drag.

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

This post show some macros taken using the Nikon 950 and Nikon 990 digital cameras back in the year 2000. It was "the" digital camera and its a shame really that Nikon's prowess in the P & S sector just fizzles out with subsequent crappy products.

Both the pictures above was taken using the Nikon 950 in Marang Safari Resort in Terengganu. A nice place with a choice of chalets either facing the sea or the estuary. Azrul of www.807studio.com might remember the trip.

These two were taken using the Nikon 990. Can't recall where it was exactly taken, most likely either up in Genting Highlands or was it Cameron Highlands. Anyway, that is one nasty ulat bulu with long fluffy stingers...

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Bad expererience. On returning home from the wedding in Taiping last night, we discovered that our house has been ransacked. None of the neighbours heard anything. The criminal gain entry by prying open the back door grill. For that effort, the bastard took away small items including watches, piggy bank and loose cash belonging to the kids. Most likely an opportunistic criminal as it appears that most other valuable stuffs were not taken. This raises concern on my part as the criminal now know the contents of my house and appear to know when we will be in or out. Will he come back ?

I was thankful but at the same time amazed that he did not take away my SB800. He did take it down from the shelf and took it out of the case...

Police report was made and I have to commend them for arriving in less time than I dreaded. They took photos, dust for prints and made the report. I would have thought that they would be digital based by now, which will mean cheaper operating cost and increased efficiency. Film based camera and manual pen and paper was used. This then will have to be digitised once they reach the office. Sad situation. Repetitive work for them. Malaysia BOLEH ???

Friday, January 12, 2007

Bute Park Cardiff, in the vicinity of the Millennium Stadium. This was taken on the way to school back in 2002 using a Nikon 4500. Saw this picture while going through photos of that period as I just received an email from a course mate...

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Such serene surroundings. We stayed at Seri Malaysia in November 2006. The trip was made to finalise arrangements of the wedding mentioned in previous posts.

Memory of serenity was effectively crushed when I received a speeding ticket in relation to the trip. I was clocked doing 101 in an 80 km/h zone somewhere in Kuala Kangsar. And I thought I was being extra careful in observing the speed limits.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

These pictures are pleasing to me. Taps, an inanimate but crucial element in our daily life. Relatives recounted the horrors of having dry taps in the recent flooding in Muar. Ironic, only when it runs dry that the taps which were otherwise taken for granted is acknowledged.

The top picture was taken in 2001 using a Canon EOS D30 and the bottom one in 2006 using a Nikon D200.

Monday, January 08, 2007

Delivered the wedding photos that I was asked to take. The files and photos were my wedding present to the happy couple.

Thanks for the comments guys. Doc, like you I don't "do" wedding either. I only take pictures of close friends and family based on their request. I am not a very good people person, thus it is not easy for me to be a wedding photog. This recent case however, is different as the couple is a close family member. I know almost every guest.

More than a thousand, yes, 1,000 photos were taken capturing the moments involving almost everyone there. The cute kids, funny old folks, teary encounters, not to mention the very photogenic bride and groom. I had a tough time selecting photos to print for them as each one tells a story. The technically deficient ones were there too. Really off white balance (caused by video lighting), under exposed, wrong flash coverage and over exposure. From my original plan to print only 200, I ended up printing almost 500 for them. That and a full DVD of the JPEG files became my gift.

Oh, the D200, 17 -55 f2.8, SB800 and Sanyo 2500 rechargebles performed flawlessly too. Only wished I had the 70 - 200 f2.8 VR or 70 - 300 VR for more candid shots and longer reach.

Saturday, January 06, 2007

I hereby agree to abide by the rights and obligations imposed by this union as prescribed by the law and overseen by god, bla bla bla. Oh, and there goes your freedom too he he he... Congratulations guys, may you have a long and happy life together.

With the formality over, the ensuing celebration to mark the event is enjoyed by all. The bride and groom will sit on the dais to be blessed by the elders...

About Me

The Pictures

Please respect intellectual property, if you want to use any of the pictures please cite accordingly. I don't "do" copyright stuff etc. but will sell or may even give away the original files, just ask nicely...
I have always been interested in photography as I feel that it captures a moment in time. I hope you enjoy them as mush as I do. Both in capturing the moment and presenting them to you here.